Turns out our resident attorney/CPA/statesman here for many a year was correct in his supposition that the Eagles blew a chance to get that “thick-ankled running back powerhouse” that our veteran engineer Palmy has craved for so long:

According to Tim McManus, who was NOT laid off by ESPN this past week, this was the deal:

“The Eagles ended up using their second-round pick on Washington cornerback Sidney Jones, and addressed the running back position in the fourth round by selecting San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey.

“Asked if the Vikings made the move because they thought the Eagles were going to pounce on Cook, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman simply replied: “Maybe.”

“I had a pretty good feeling he wasn’t going to last until our pick at 48,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said.

ATV (aka Chris Ruggiero) warned us as much.

“A home run hitter with breakaway speed, Cook averaged 6.5 yards per carry and 15 rushing touchdowns per season during his time at Florida State. He led the ACC in carries (288), yards (1,765) and yards from scrimmage (2,253) in 2016 while running for 19 touchdowns. He dropped out of the first round because of some concerns surrounding injuries and a couple of off-field incidents, but has the talent to make an immediate impact in the league.”

“Jones won’t have the opportunity to do so, as he ruptured his left Achilles during his pro day and will miss at least a portion of the season. Pumphrey, meanwhile, will get a chance to contribute right away. He joins a backfield that includes the 33-year-old Darren Sproles and unproven second-year player Wendell Smallwood. The all-time leading rusher in FBS history, Pumphrey ran for 6,405 yards over four years at San Diego State. He is the only FBS player with at least 5,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 career receiving yards. The ability is definitely there. The only thing really lacking is size (he’s 5-foot-9, 180 pounds).

“Don’t let the size fool you: this guy, he’s a little dog that thinks he’s a big dog, and he plays that way,” said Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas.”

Yeah, but as ATV told us, we probably let the big game-changing fish get away… 3rd and 2, who ya gonna call?

Both ATV and Tim McManus could have said this same thing: “By sticking at No. 43, the Eagles got a potential top-end cornerback in Jones and didn’t have to give up one of their fourth-rounders, which turned into Pumphrey and North Carolina receiver Mack Hollins. Perhaps not landing Cook proves to be a blessing. Or, Cook could take the league by storm and leave a trail of regret in his wake.”